Awkward Objects: Relics, the Making of Religious Meaning, and the Limits of Control in the Information Age
You are being asked to participate in anthropological research project. Your participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous (unless you expressly wish your real name disclosed). Any information you disclose will be treated as confidential and under no circumstances be passed on to third parties without your consent in any way that would allow to identify you.
This project forms the basis of the doctoral dissertation that I am currently writing in the Department of Anthropology at University College London. The purpose is to learn more about contemporary relic practices, touching on questions such as: why do people want relics?, what role do they play in their religious life?, where do they get them from?, what are the problems connected with this form of devotional practice?, what sort of object constitutes a relic?, how is their production and circulation organised and institutionalised? This subject has found hardly any scholarly attention so far, so by undertaking this project I hope to add to our understanding of contemporary religious practices.
This project involves the collection of primary data through various methods: face to face interviews, questionnaires sent by mail or e-mail, participant observation.
This project will principally involve three groups of people: officials of the Roman-Catholic Church, commercial traders in religious goods, and Roman-Catholic (or Christian, more generally) lay people whose religious practice involves the veneration of saints and their relics.
You are asked to participate in a survey through a questionnaire which you may choose to answer or not. Participation may end at this point, or it may develop into a more extended dialogue over an unspecified period of time – this depends entirely on your free choice and interest.
There is no specific time frame to your participation: it may be a one-off encounter via questionnaire or it may become an ongoing dialogue. The degree and duration of your involvement are fully determined by you and your interest to work with me.
The only risk involved is that you may feel that some questions are too personal to answer as they may touch on your religious beliefs or, if you are commercially dealing in relics, on your business interests. However, you are completely free to refuse to answer any questions you are uncomfortable with, and you may stop your participation at any time.
You may not personally benefit from participation in this project. However, you may enjoy sharing your opinions and experiences. You may be able to learn more about the religious practices of others and in the process reflect on your own practices. You may also learn more about saints, relics and their place in contemporary religious practice. If you wish, you can receive a summarised electronic copy of the finished dissertation.
You have the option of not taking part in this study. This will have no adverse effects whatsoever.
Your participation is principally anonymous, your name will be replaced by an alias unless you state explicitly that you wish your real name included. Circumstantial information allowing your identification will be omitted or changed. No information linkable to any one individual informant will be passed on to third parties.
There are no costs associated with your participation, except for your time (and perhaps your tolerance towards the nosy questions of the researcher). Neither will you receive any financial rewards.
Taking part in this research project is entirely voluntary. You may also withdraw from it at any time. You are under no obligation to answer all or any of the questions you may be asked. Any decision you make about your participation will have no adverse effect on your standing with superiors, colleagues, competitors, or members of your community.
Questions concerning this project may be directed to me or my academic supervisor:
My address: Jan Geisbusch, Department of Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom, Email: j.geisbusch@ucl.ac.uk
My supervisor: Prof
Michael Rowlands, Department of Anthropology, University College London,
14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, United Kingdom, Email: m.rowlands@ucl.ac.uk